Chatri Sityodtong revolutionizing MMA in Asia with expansion of ONE Championship

Why is Chatri Sityodtong name synonymous to ONE Championship and mixed martial arts in ASIA? Get to know more about Chatri and how his influence help build ONE ChampionshipEvery once in a while, someone comes along with an idea -- something so profound that it changes his life and the lives of those around him. Multi-millionaire Thai entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong spent his entire existence abiding by the principles of martial arts which he holds dear, bringing him success and prosperity from his extremely humble beginnings.

The
teachings and principles of martial arts, to which he says he owes
his life to, has led Sityodtong to pioneer a revolutionary
transformation in Asia, uniting its people under one banner -- mixed
martial arts, or more commonly known as MMA -- today the fastest
growing sport in the world.

Just
in the last couple of years alone, MMA’s viewership has exploded
across Asia and is shown in over 118 countries all over the world.

Though
the allure and excitement of martial arts in a safe and competitive
environment has drawn fans from all corners of the globe, the sport’s
popularity in Asia can be attributed to Sityodtong and his tremendous
work in building MMA promotion ONE Championship from a promising,
young upstart to the largest sports media property in Asia in a span
of just five years.

Today,
ONE Championship is the premier MMA organization in Asia.

Athletes
from all over the world, and not just locally, are jumping at the
opportunity to showcase their skills inside the ONE Championship
cage. The biggest marketing partners in the world are eager to do
business with the promotion, riding the wave of MMA as it continues
to increase in popularity.

ONE
Championship is also set to cross the US$1 billion dollar valuation
mark in about 12-18 months according to Sityodtong, which is
unprecedented considering the company is still barely in its infancy.

“We
are growing at triple digit growth rates and the market opportunity
is massive in Asia. There are 4.1 billion people who live here and
our growth opportunities are limitless,” said Sityodtong.

Asia
is home to the world’s largest population, and with ONE
Championship’s constant expansion into new and untapped markets, it
makes sense that crossing the billion dollar valuation mark is an
inevitable milestone for the company.

Just
last month, Sityodtong led an emotional return to his native
Thailand, holding the first ever live MMA event from a major MMA
organization with ONE: Kingdom of Champions. It also crowned the
youngest MMA champion in the history of the sport, a female champion
at that -- 19-year old Angela Lee who is of Singaporean, American and
Korean descent.

And
that’s just the tip of the iceberg. ONE Championship has
consistently pushed the envelope of the last few years, breaking
barriers and shattering social and economic stereotypes as it touches
the lives of its athletes and the fans who rally behind them.

“Japan,
South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam and a few other new countries
are on the map in the coming years. Equally important is that we will
be expanding our footprint in China this year and beyond,” said
Sityodtong.

In
2011, ONE Championship was dreamt up with the aim of unifying all of
Asia’s martial arts talent under one global MMA powerhouse.
Sityodtong believed in the potential of MMA in the region, which is
said to have been the birthplace of martial arts with over 5,000
years of rich history.

It
began with a small fanbase of hardcore MMA fans intrigued at the
possibilities of what would later become a global phenomenon. Today
ONE Championship is broadcast to a potential 1 billion homes
worldwide.

In
a brief period, ONE has also been able to attract various blue-chip
sponsors, to partner with the largest TV networks in each Asian
nation, and to sign the top MMA talents and world champions in Asia
to exclusive contracts.

“My
passion and love for martial arts gave me the drive to bring ONE
Championship to fans in Asia who yearned for exciting live MMA events
in their own backyard,” said Sityodtong. “I have trained in Muay
Thai and various other martial arts my entire life, and I felt
compelled to showcase the sport’s beauty not just to Asia, but to
the entire world.”

ONE
Championship has rapidly expanded across the region over the last few
years, holding live events in countries like the Philippines,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Dubai, and even mainland
China. The promotion’s MMA talent comes from all over the world,
with fighters signed from Europe, the United States, Brazil, Japan,
and central Asian nations like Tajikistan.

“It’s
just something that I felt I needed to do – to give back to the
sport that has given me so much in life,” said Sityodtong about the
birth of ONE Championship. “Every life lesson that I have learned
has come from martial arts, and the principles and ideals that
martial arts swears by, I have taken to heart. It has guided me all
throughout, and I credit my success to the lessons it instilled in me
at a young age.”

Sityodtong
wasn’t always affluent. He experienced poverty to some degree at
ground zero, putting himself through Harvard Business School with
sheer willpower and perseverance, while digging his own family out of
the trenches so to speak.

With
ONE Championship, it was an idea that just made sense to Sityodtong.
And he believed in it enough to see the dream through.

“We
have been registering triple digit percentage annual growth rates in
revenues since we started five years ago. Compared to most companies
around the world in any industry, ONE Championship is doing very
well. However we are still far from where I would like us to be,”
said Sityodtong.

“Our
plan over the next 3-5 years is to get to a 52 event weekly schedule
of live events across Asia with a live broadcast to 2 billion homes.
Our vision is to become a part of everyday life for everyone in Asia.
I envision a world where everyone in Asia will tune into our events
every weekend. There is no reason why it should not happen because
Asia has always been the home of martial arts.”

Wherever
the company is headed, Sityodtong is certainly the man to know and
things are looking to be in good shape. Asian MMA, at the very least,
has a man they can trust to take this amazing sport to unprecedented
heights.